Digital cameras have become very popular of the past 5 years. It’s so easy to go to your local department store, grab the first camera you see and start taking pics. Realize though that it’s not easy being a photographer and there’s a lot more required than just pointing and shooting. To become a good photographer you must educate yourself, know your camera inside and out and practice a lot! It’s taken 14 years for me to get to where I am today and I’m still constantly reading, practicing, learning about phtoography everyday. It doesn’t come overnight and it’s certainly not easy. You must learn about exposure, composition, lighting and more. You must have a bit of math skills to understand and use certain calculations. Whoever said you’ll never use this stuff after high school lied!

So how do you learn more about the art of photography? Join the Tidewater Digital Photography Club!  Our club meets every Tuesday currently at the Northampton Community Center in Hampton, VA.  Photoshop meetings are on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Photography meetings are on the 2nd and 4th meeting of each month.

In the photoshop meetings we are currently going over the Scott Kelby 7 Point system.  As for the photography meetings we have a beginner and advanced topics each class. We also have photo critiques were you can get feedback on an assigned photo topics.  In addition to the regular Tuesday meetings we also have meetups throughout the month.   These meetups include trips to local parks, photography semimars, shows, and exhibits.

Wait there’s more!  We have also put together a mentor program.  You can be assigned to a mentor to help you with learning photography one on one.  The mentor that is chosen for you will usually have the same camera system so it will make it easier for you to concentrate on learning your camera.

Our club offers a lot for photographers whether you’re a beginner or a pro!  For more information and to join our club check out the following link: http://www.meetup.com/Tidewater-Digital-Photography.  We hope to see you there!